iLounge

121

The new nano is entirely underwhelming to me. Ignoring the click wheel, it seems so Zen something to me. The new video iPod...er, Classic...is nice with the storage boost, but it somehow seems much the same thing as the 5.5G, only cheaper per GB. Hopefully it sounds better, though. The Touch is indeed iPhone neat, but 16GB is still too small even for music-only, I don’t do vids anyways, and I’d rather Wi-Fi with something even larger, like my new UMPC or my old but still serviceably Dell laptop. I’m not seeing any sales here…

Seems like the iPhone is just like any other cell phone these days, considering the $200 price drop. Still, I DEMAND 3G for my next phone and I won’t go back to ATT ever again, so it doesn’t really matter.

It’s been a LONG while since I’ve been so numbed by new products from Cupertino. Well, at least Halo 3 will make for a great September…

Posted by flatline response on September 5, 2007 at 11:42 PM (PDT)

122

Surya, there have been a lot of childish comments all over the web today.  And I was in an Apple store listening to people yell at store clerks who couldn’t do anything for them and certainly didn’t deserve to be yelled at.  It seems many Apple devotees do loose sight of the fact that Apple is just a company out to make money.  I can certainly understand regret at buying an overpriced product, but that should be anger at the self.

Posted by Addy on September 6, 2007 at 1:04 AM (PDT)

123

Surya,

Addy could not have said it any better. You say you feel “gypped” when the price dropped $200 only a few weeks after you bought it, but that is because you cannot get over the fact that you were stupid enough to shell out so much money for the “cool” factor of being one of the first ones to own one. What you are really feeling, rather than being “gypped”, is anger at yourself for being so stupid. But because you cannot come to terms with that, you end up blaming Apple.

Posted by mrwolf on September 6, 2007 at 1:36 AM (PDT)

124

I’m annoyed, really annoyed.

What is the point of making the face of the new iPods (sans touch) adonized aluminium when the back is still the fingerprint-and-micro- (and macro-) Scratch attractive polished chrome? Haven’t they learned their lesson yet?

Posted by HumanityInGeneral on September 6, 2007 at 2:01 AM (PDT)

125

So...when will the 16GB iphone be out?

Posted by Everyperson on September 6, 2007 at 4:14 AM (PDT)

126

I cannot believe that Apple did a step back like this with the iPOD Touch. What should I do with such a thing having only 16 GB? Okay, the new features are very good but I expected a normal IPOD size with up to 80 GB. Smaller models does not make sense. It does not bother me how big and heavy it is. I am very disappointed about Apple. They go more and more away from a high innovated company to a company that only wants to get more money with each new IPOD.
We all should send Apple our bad comments about this iPOD touch. I really hope that they will think about it and bring out a new hard disk based IPOD touch.

Posted by Charly on September 6, 2007 at 4:21 AM (PDT)

127

Like others, I’m VERY disappointed with the iPod Touch and its capacity.  With so many features, it’s absolutely pointless to release it with a maximum size of just 16 GB.

I guess I’ll be waiting a year or so for an updated version of the iPod Touch.

Posted by illegalattempt on September 6, 2007 at 5:31 AM (PDT)

128

The remedy for this iPhone price drop is simple:  Don’t be an early adopter ever again.

Posted by 86hawkeye on September 6, 2007 at 5:35 AM (PDT)

129

All this and still no easily-removable, user-replaceable battery?

Posted by pInK on September 6, 2007 at 5:40 AM (PDT)

130

What a bunch of whiners we are. We get BOTH a whole new sexy Touch iPod AND twice the size iPod Classic at a LOWER price than before. PLUS a VIdeo Nano almost for free…

And yet we whine!

Posted by andersbac on September 6, 2007 at 5:52 AM (PDT)

131

As much as I want an iPod touch, I can’t justify paying $400 for 16GB, having just bought an 80GB 5.5 one year ago. I can hold off for another year for more storage and lower prices—that’s why I waited for the previously known as “video iPod.”

Any idea whether the 5.5 will be able to update to the new interface, or is the hardware different?

Posted by bookcase on September 6, 2007 at 6:01 AM (PDT)

132

I agree with all the early adopters of the iPhone.  We wanted to be the early ones because we believed in the product.  Now you, Apple, kick us in the butt by lowering the price $200.00.  we should at lest get some kind of an apple store credit.  Sure apple will sell more phones, but now you have an army of pissed off high rollers.  I almost got suckered into wanting a new apple computer for christmas...not!
Sure I’ll keep my iPhone, but I won’t be an early adopter ever again.  Yes I like the new iPod’s but guess what my 5.5 gen will do me just fine for now and the future.  Thanks Steve!!!!

Posted by Jon on September 6, 2007 at 6:03 AM (PDT)

133

Bought my iPhone 12 days ago.  Brought my receipt to the Apple store and got a $200 refund. 

They said they were honoring all those in the 14 day return period.

Posted by Steve Van Vlack on September 6, 2007 at 6:27 AM (PDT)

134

no thanks for the new nano...is fugly and too wide to hold on to it
the G2 is perfect still.

Posted by Joe on September 6, 2007 at 6:32 AM (PDT)

135

I few days after the iPhone’s launch , I was grocery shopping and saw a guy using his new iPhone. Well “using” isn’t the right word--"flaunting" is more like it. He had this waist-mounted carrying system that displayed his iPhone like a newborn baby--face out and constantly back lit.

Yes, I really wanted one and envied him for having it. I just couldn’t bring myself to shell out 500-600 dollars for it (not to mention the phone plan). I have rent to pay. He, on the other hand DID decide to buy it and got what he paid for, i guess--bragging rights as an early adopter and me, in the cereal aisle, drooling of it.

Now that the price has dropped, I still feel iffy about it...mainly because of the plan rate. If that guy with his infant iPhone had disposable cash to pay for a product that many thought was overpriced, then this price drop probably won’t phase him much--he’ll roll his eyes and move on to the “next big thing”. But if he spent his hard-earned money on a status symbol, while filling is cart with Ramen noodles and Capri Sun...then sorry dude, maybe you should better evaluate your priorities next time.

Posted by protector on September 6, 2007 at 6:38 AM (PDT)

136

There won’t be any software update that will give 5/5.5g iPods the new interface. In the past Apple has NEVER given things like gapless playback or the fast-scroll letters to older users.
The updated interface is part of the updated product. Maybe it’s just because the new interface is a huge selling point for me (I was surprised it didn’t see an update for the 5th gen and have been waiting ever since), but I think they’d lose a lot of sales if the new menus were available on 5g iPods to anybody.

Posted by Isral DeBruin on September 6, 2007 at 6:43 AM (PDT)

137

Allow me to tread cautiously into the furor over the $200 iPhone price drop, and try to make a little sense if I can.

I am an early adopter. I stood in line at a small AT&T;store for several hours and shelled out almost $800 on launch day for the 8 GB model, a pair of earbuds, a case, and a couple of other things. Being a gadget-head, I knew the risks inherent in taking the plunge that early, and that hard.

Did I anticipate that the retail cost of the device would drop 33 percent a little more than two months after its release? Not quite that specifically, but I knew that anything was possible and I knew that the exorbitant sticker price would probably steer a lot of people clear of purchasing at the outset. Apple clearly wanted to maximize its profits and capitalize on the enormous pre-launch hype, and then once that died down, they wanted to create a resurgence with a price drop. You cannot deny that they are experts in viral marketing, and that they know how to push product.

I wasn’t necessarily mad at yesterday’s news. I took the plunge in June and, to be honest, I would pay $600 again for the iPhone because it has been the best mobile phone I’ve owned AND the best portable music/media player I’ve ever owned. Long frustrated with AT&T;nee Cingular nee SBC WIreless, I’ve been pleased with the quality of service, not nearly as miffed with the EDGE speeds as I thought I’d be, and more than happy that I was able to activate my iPhone at home. Apple and AT&T;did their homework prior to launch and the result is a very solid product.

I understand the urge to complain about the $200 price cut. It’s kind of hard to swallow, but the very nature of this beast called technology. I suppose we could wish that early adoption would have its fiscal advantages, but you can’t deny that toting it around for two months and showing it off was fun while it lasted. Now the iPhone will become more ubiquitous, which is what Apple wants.

Posted by Flippy Hambone on September 6, 2007 at 7:05 AM (PDT)

138

My 2 or 3 cents…

1.  $200 iPhone price drop:  Those of you that bought this product at the original price obviously had the money to do so, you have a great product, and you should enjoy it.  This really is the cost not waiting to buy later b/c prices ALWAYS go down, not up.  Although I understand that ~2 months is a short time, i don’t believe there is a manual/rules/etc. that says how long companies have to wait, so you should have been prepared for it no matter when it happened...it was inevitable...2 months, 6 months, etc.

Although the sales growth is good they want to increase it even more to surpass their projected sales figures and market share.  Two months later happens to be the right time for a price drop...ripe for the holiday season (it’s all about timing this time around).

2. flash drive capacity:  putting more than 16GB in the iPod would have meant higher cost (probably to the point that not many would buy it).  so the complaint is either about the price (capacity it great) or it’s about not making the capacity large enough.  this seems to be a never-ending thing.  i personally have enough content to fill more than even the 80GB 5.5G...but do I ever really have time or need to have it all with me at once.  choice is great, but where is that line drawn?  farther and farther out with every iPod generation.  the computer is never really that far away if you need new/different content anyway.

3.  the new ipods:  like ‘em, but going to pass this generation up, as i don’t see the improvements all that special.  That being said, I really like the touch, but if i am going that route I might as well have the phone too, so I don’t have to carry around two items, and I need a new phone anyway.  either way, it’s a good product family and will sell well...especially the nanos.

4.  Hold off on the iPhone price drop:  I am not sure I can do this myself...if only Apple had released a 16GB (the magic # for me) iPhone yesterday.

By the way...you can now get a refurbished 8GB iPhone for $349...another $50 off.

Posted by franticnomad on September 6, 2007 at 7:06 AM (PDT)

139

Why do people keep mentioning the “coolness” factor of the iPhone when arguing about early adoption of this technology?

It seems that most of the ire is coming from those who do not even own an iPhone ("stupid early adopters” etc).

Personally speaking, I bought the iPhone for it’s functionality. Not to flash it around like a total douchebag. I’ll leave that to all the Hummer drivers of the world.

Candidly speaking, I sometimes dread even taking it out of my pocket in public to answer a call. I don’t need people gawking at me every time I pull it out. It’s my cellphone. Let me do my business. I’m sick of people asking about it.

I do hope that this increases sales of the iPhone. I would like to see more of them around.

Who knows...in time, it may even become as ubiquitous at the RAZR....

Posted by knifestyles on September 6, 2007 at 7:47 AM (PDT)

140

Know what?  I was standing by yesterday eagerly ready to spring for a new touchscreen iPod. And then I saw the 16 GB capacity. Pffft...like air out of my balloon.  So what did I do?  I went right out and bought a Sonic Impact Video-55.  I’ll wait until Apple gets it right.  I was disappointed yesterday.

Posted by Obadiah on September 6, 2007 at 7:48 AM (PDT)